In the field of firearms, many currently employ handguards surrounding the barrel and positioned against or proximate the forward end of a receiver. These handguards often include rails for mounting accessories such as sights, optics, lights, lasers, vertical grips, and the like. In the past, the rail was mounted on the top surface of the handguard, and did not interfere with a shooters grip. Currently, many handguards includes rails formed on the sides and bottom thereof. These rails, when not in use to carry accessories, can interfere with a shooters grip. Additionally, rails systems such as the Picatinny rail or the Weaver style rail system should be covered for protection to prevent damage. Damage to a rail can interfere with the attachment or use of accessories. To overcome this problem, rail covers have been developed to essentially cap the rails, smoothing them out to provide a better grip for a shooter and protecting the edges from damage. While effective, current rail covers are often insecurely mounted to a rail. They can slide and move when gripped, or fall off if jarred or hooked.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a secure and easily installed rail cover.